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(09-29-2019, 12:18 PM)cvillewood Wrote: “Boys will be boys - and Girls will be girls.”
I hate that expression. It’s an excuse to let boys misbehave, and pigeon holes girls to be quiet and wear dresses.
I will always push my daughter to do sports and speak her mind the same as my son. And my son to behave and respect others as my daughter does.
I’m early in this journey, with a 5&6 year old. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a boy hit another kid or be completely out of control and a parent shrug their shoulders and say “boys will be boys”. I call bull$hit.
For those of us that grew up when gender stereotypes defined societal roles it is hard to change. That was all we knew.
When you ask someone what are the masculine or feminine traits, it is like that judge’s comment on porn, “I know it when I see it.” But when they actually articulate those traits, especially the “good” ones, then asked if those same traits would be beneficial to the opposite gender they usually agree they would.
I am proud that my daughter is mentally strong and independent; that she is unwilling to relegate herself to any limits that others may try to place on her; that she is willing to stand up for what she believes is right.
I am proud that my sons are nurturing and compassionate; that they go out of their way to help others; that they seek advice from anyone with experience regardless of gender.
... As I think most would be proud, even as we still hold on to lingering traces of what it means to be masculine or feminine.
(My first draft had these as collective, but wanted to delineate my ideas wrt gender traits.)
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(09-29-2019, 12:18 PM)cvillewood Wrote: “Boys will be boys - and Girls will be girls.”
I hate that expression. It’s an excuse to let boys misbehave, and pigeon holes girls to be quiet and wear dresses.
I will always push my daughter to do sports and speak her mind the same as my son. And my son to behave and respect others as my daughter does.
I’m early in this journey, with a 5&6 year old. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a boy hit another kid or be completely out of control and a parent shrug their shoulders and say “boys will be boys”. I call bull$hit.
That expression belongs with "It is what it is." No, it's not. However, 6270's and srv's comments do brand an era in many of our lives.
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The old; " It's not for you- you'll never make it- it's too hard- there's too much competition- you're crazy..."
I always told my kids; "The only person who keeps you from doing what you really want to do- is You!"
I promised I would always help guide and support my kids through life with a positive attitude, when just over 30 years ago I announced to my own mother I was to start my own business. Her very first words? "You'll never make it". I remember how that made me feel and what I had to overcome.
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I feel like there is a market here for an upscale contractor that actually produces better than mediocre work. Don't really know of any. The people we had do our deck seem to be doing well, but charge top dollar and the work isn't that great.
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GCs, like furniture makers, need good design intuition and may need formal training to be great at what they do. I've seen a lot of guys who build beautifully made ugly furniture. Ditto houses, interiors, especially kitchens, etc etc. Where does that stop? Modern bathrooms are stupidly designed. A plumber with design sense can make a super bathroom without spending crazy money. Electricians' work isn't just hots and neutrals. Good lighting designs, switch placement, outlet locations, can all make a huge difference in a finished product. Twisting the wire and knowledge of the NEC is not enough in my opinion.
I have been looking at industrial designers' work, kitschy stores and hotels for design inspiration. The building trades need to step up their design skills all across the board. Ditto furniture people. If the ladies can give us the inspiration or the kick in the pants we desperately need, I say bring 'em on.
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I won't commandeer Adam's post, but only elaborate.
When I was in school, during a field trip, at one site a student suggested the landowner's gravel pit was ugly. He obviously took offense. I thought the site was full of character and immediately said so. The property eventually became part of a strip commercial between two cities.
The point is, functional is honest design. The later businesses were constantly folding and massive parking lots were empty. Waste, in this case defined the design.
My female contemporaries had good thoughtful solutions, and they represented the dominant purchasing public.
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(10-03-2019, 08:41 AM)adamcherubini Wrote: GCs, like furniture makers, need good design intuition and may need formal training to be great at what they do. I've seen a lot of guys who build beautifully made ugly furniture. Ditto houses, interiors, especially kitchens, etc etc. Where does that stop? Modern bathrooms are stupidly designed. A plumber with design sense can make a super bathroom without spending crazy money. Electricians' work isn't just hots and neutrals. Good lighting designs, switch placement, outlet locations, can all make a huge difference in a finished product. Twisting the wire and knowledge of the NEC is not enough in my opinion.
I have been looking at industrial designers' work, kitschy stores and hotels for design inspiration. The building trades need to step up their design skills all across the board. Ditto furniture people. If the ladies can give us the inspiration or the kick in the pants we desperately need, I say bring 'em on.
It’s called style. Very few contractors have it or are willing to use it. I don’t think it can be learned or at least not learned quickly.
VH07V
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The builders will only build what the architect puts on paper. The architect will only put on paper what the client wants or what fits their budget.
I worked for a woman owned commercial GC/Design build firm for about 5 years. Small company, about 10 mil a year. I don't think I ever met or saw her. We had 3 women in the office, one was the office manager, one was an accountant and the other was a secretary/sales support. On the other hand, I've met a few in the residential/Home Improvement field who actually do some of the work. Often times they're more of an interior design-build or painting operation. Certainly not a 100% female field crew. No different than any other company, men framers, Hispanic laborers and maybe female finishers.
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